Once the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, people with disabilities suffered tremendously. And amid the panic and chaos that followed the invasion, many were unable to evacuate from their homes. This left people trapped in the crossfire without access to bomb shelters. In the first episode of the second season of Europe Talks Back, host Juli Simond tells the story of Tetyana Herasymova, who is one of the approximately 2.7 million Ukrainians with disabilities. Tanya is one of those who managed to flee. Ever since, she’s been helping fellow Ukrainians with disabilities stuck near the frontlines of the war in Ukraine. As the director of the Ukrainian NGO, Fight for Right, Tanya is committed to championing the needs and rights of disabled individuals, particularly during times of conflict. Drawing from her own experiences as a person with a disability navigating the challenges of war, Tetyana's dedication to promoting inclusivity and equality is unwavering and deeply impactful.

We need to change and nobody will make these changes without us. - Tetyana Herasymova

Key moments

00:00:01 - Evacuation,

00:04:21 - Disability during war,

00:09:20 - Advocacy and recovery,

00:14:25 - Inclusion in Ukrainian politics,

00:20:32 - Challenges faced by disabled Ukrainians,

00:21:06 - Conclusion.

Resources

• Donate to Fight for Right's GoFundMe campaign to support their work with disabled individuals in Ukraine.

Credits and staff

The second season of Europe Talks Back is produced in partnership with Sphera Network, the first network of independent media in Europe to reinvent the media space and paint a new picture of the continent through impactful, unbiased, raw and authentic stories.

The producer of Europe Talks Back is Maria Dios. 

The host and narrator of Europe Talks Back is Juli Simond. 

Sound editing and mixing is by Jeremy Bocquet. 

Reporting for this story by Anna Romandash.

The executive producer of Europe Talks Back is Alexander Damiano Ricci.

Social Media

• https://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/bulle-media/
• https://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/europodpodcasts
• https://www.europod.eu/

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